


Building Bridges

by cavaleira



Series: Each Little Thread [2]
Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Brother Feels, Family Bonding, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-27
Updated: 2015-03-27
Packaged: 2018-03-19 23:18:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3627996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cavaleira/pseuds/cavaleira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Balder wants to be closer to Loki, Thor tries his best to help things along, and Loki discovers that being a big brother really isn’t so bad.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Building Bridges

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文 available: [Building Bridges：心之鹊桥](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3653151) by [Maryandmathew](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maryandmathew/pseuds/Maryandmathew)



> While this is set in the same universe as “Take the Long Way Home”, it isn’t necessary to have read it to understand this story. Also, I’m playing fast and loose with Balder’s magical gifts so just roll with it ;)

The late afternoon sun streams through the window of Thor’s study as he sits hunched over his desk. He can smell the fresh air of a beautiful spring day and if he closes his eyes, he can imagine the people outside enjoying themselves and basking in the warmth: the children playing, the lovers strolling through the gardens, the warriors in the training yards.

Thor pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs. He wishes he could join them but instead he’s cooped up inside, reviewing the trade documents he’s been putting off all week. It makes him miss the villa he and Loki have shared on Midgard for decades, but being back in Asgard has its own rewards as well. Despite the paperwork, Thor rather enjoys being regent and having Loki as his husband and advisor helps ease the burden of responsibility. Being close to Frigga and Balder has also been a joy, especially in their shared grief over Odin’s passing.

Thor is just about to sign his name to another document in a flourish when Loki darts into the room, panting hard as he hides behind the door.

"Loki, what are you—”

"Shh," Loki hisses.

Thor gives him a puzzled look, but he keeps his mouth shut. In the silence that follows, Thor can hear the sound of little footsteps coming from down the hall.

A minute later Balder pokes his head in, a thick mop of dark hair and bright blue eyes. His face is more angular these days, the baby fat in his cheeks melting away as he approaches his adolescent years. Thor can scarcely believe how much Balder has grown up over the decades. In another century, he will become a man and they’ll begin the transition from Thor’s regency to Balder’s rule.

"Hello Thor," Balder says as he takes a step over the room’s threshold. Though his smile is bright as ever, he seems a bit distracted.

"Balder," Thor says, flashing him a broad grin.

"Have you seen Loki?" Balder asks. "I wanted to show him some magic that Mother taught me.”

Thor stares at Loki, who only makes a violent gesture implying he'll slit Thor's throat if he says a word. Thor narrowly resists the urge to laugh at him.

"No, I haven’t," Thor says, although he's sorely tempted to sell Loki out and reveal his hiding place.

"Oh," Balder says, his face falling in disappointment.

"But if I do," Thor says with a pointed look at Loki, "I’ll tell him you are in search of his company."

With that, Balder's face lights up again. "Thank you, Thor!" he says before he darts off down the hall. When his footsteps are no more than a distant echo, Loki breathes a sigh of relief and comes out of his hiding place.

"What was that all about?"

"The little whelp has taken a liking to me, though I've no idea why."

"Is it truly so hard to imagine? After all, _I_ like you just fine," Thor teases.

Loki snorts. "Yes, but you’re touched in the head. He’s always following me around trying to... to _talk_ to me," Loki says, his nose wrinkled in disdain.

"Ah yes, trying to talk to you about your shared interests," Thor says. “Oh, what terrible hardships you must endure.”

Loki sighs and flops down onto the cushy armchair across from Thor's desk. "Well, when you say it like that, it makes me sound unreasonable."

"He thinks you're, what did the Midgardians used to say..." Thor says, his brow furrowed as he searches for the word. "Ah yes, 'cool'. He thinks you're cool."

Thor has no doubt that Balder will grow up to be a great man, but every child goes through a rebellious stage of some sort. For the time being, this meant Balder had begun looking up to Loki as someone who was worldly and sophisticated, and being fascinated by Loki’s status as the black sheep of the realm. Really, it was all rather tame compared to the things Loki and Thor had done in their youth.

Loki groans. "I'm not like you, Thor. I'm not a role model."

"No one said that you had to be, but you _do_ have things in common. Of course he wants to share these with you.”

While Balder would likely never be a full-fledged sorcerer, he did have some latent magical ability that had begun to manifest. In addition to being able to communicate with animals, he also possesed a talent for photokinesis and the people had already started calling him Balder the Bright.

"He sings to birds, Thor. _Birds._ "

Thor sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “Loki, please just… try. For me."

Thor knows that Loki harbors a sense of jealousy and resentment towards Balder; after being the target of that same resentment for years, he’d have to be blind not to recognize it. Thor and Loki’s fraternal relationship has always been complicated and it took them over a thousand years to get to where they are now. But with Balder, Thor feels like they a second chance of sorts, an opportunity to heal some of the remaining scars in the family that linger in spite of Odin’s death.

“Fine,” Loki says as he throws his head back and sighs. “But what am I meant to say to him, Thor? I don't know how to talk to children."

"Just talk to him like he's a person," Thor says. "Surely you remember how much _you_ hated being talked down to when we were children."

"I suppose. I just can't believe the day has come where _I_ need advice from _you_. "

Thor smiles. "Crazier things have happened."

Loki glances down at his wedding ring with a fond smile. "Yes, I suppose they have," he says. Loki crosses the room and gives Thor a lingering kiss before smirking and turning to go.

"Don't work too hard now, Thor,” he says, his voice full of dark promise.

Thor can’t help but grin. He knows that unlike Balder, he won't have any trouble finding Loki later.

***

 

Although Loki promised he would try, days go by and nothing changes. Balder keeps seeking out Loki’s company and Loki vacillates between scowling and hiding. Thor figures that perhaps Loki needs a little push and he sees his chance to move things along when Balder tells them about his daily lessons during a family dinner.

“Tyr taught me new sword techniques, and then I left the training yards to go to language lessons. Afterwards, the history tutor let me and the other children play tafl, but Tjorvi Bjarnisson beat me again,” Balder says with a dejected sigh.

Tafl was an ancient game that bore some similarity to the game of chess that was popular on Midgard. It required great skill and strategy, and thus learning to play was often included in the education of noble-born children.

"Hm," Thor says, stroking his chin and resisting the urge to laugh as an idea forms in his head. "I know someone here in Asgard who is one of the finest tafl players I have ever seen. Perhaps he would be willing to teach you."

Balder’s face lights up. ”Who is it?"

"Loki," Thor says. Loki shoots him a murderous glare.

“Really? I didn't know you played, Loki.”

“Oh yes,” Frigga chimes in and Loki gives her a glare as well, though it’s slightly less murderous than the one he gave Thor. “Loki has always been quite gifted at the game. When he was your age he was already defeating all of his tutors. As he grew older, he was known to even best your father at times.”

Loki’s expression hovers somewhere in the space between a smile and a scowl, as if he can’t decide between being disgruntled or preening under the praise.

“Will you teach me, Loki? Please?” Balder asks, imploring Loki with earnest blue eyes.

Loki sighs. “I suppose I could show you a few things.”

Thor and Balder both grin, and Frigga stifles laughter from behind her hand. Loki scowls and crosses his arms, glaring down at the floor as if he’s hoping it will swallow him whole.

***

 

After a tedious morning in a council meeting, Thor is in dire need of some fun and goes off in search of Loki. He's pleasantly surprised to find him in the garden with Balder, both intently staring down at the tafl board between them.

Thor hangs back and watches, close enough to see and hear them but far enough away that he doesn’t disturb them. With both of them so utterly engrossed, it’s not as if they’d be paying much attention to him anyway. From the state of the board, Thor can tell that they’re close to the end of their game.

Unlike chess, tafl was a game where players started out on unequal footing; one player had a king and his twelve defender pieces grouped in the center, while the other player was given twenty-four attacker pieces grouped on the four edges of the board. For the king’s side, the goal was to have the king escape to one of the corners of the board, while the attacker’s side sought to surround and trap the king.

“You win again,” Balder says with a sigh when Loki’s attackers close in on his king and leave him nowhere to go.

Loki smirks. “Indeed I did. So tell me: what did you do wrong?”

Balder pauses and stares at the board with a thoughtful frown. “I was too aggressive with my king. I tried too hard to capture your pieces rather than focus on the goal of the game.”

“Exactly,” Loki says, and he actually looks impressed in spite of himself. “The king is a powerful piece, but it must be used carefully. A king cannot do everything or be everywhere.”

With a flick of his hand, Loki uses his magic to rearrange the pieces. “Remember last time,” he says as he gestures to the board, “you were overprotective of your king, and I was able to make a blockade and box you in. The key is in finding a balance.”

“It seems that Loki is teaching you well,” Thor says, finally stepping out and approaching them. "Although I must say I'm surprised to see you here in the garden. I heard that Tyr and some of the other warriors are doing a demonstration soon." Thor feels a little guilty about encouraging Balder to leave but as much as Thor loves his youngest brother, he was hoping to spend some quality time with his husband this afternoon.

“Ah, that’s enough for today then,” Loki says.

“Can we play again tomorrow?” Balder asks as he stands to go.

“Yes. And next time,” Loki says with a mischievous glint in his eyes, “I’ll teach you how to cheat.”

Balder’s eyes widen. “Cheating is wrong,” he says, sounding both curious and scandalized.

Loki rolls his eyes. “Clearly you are related to Thor. At the very least you’ll learn how to spot a cheater, even if you can’t bear to do the cheating yourself. Now go run along and learn how to fight injustice or whatever it is you noble types do.”

***

 

Balder and Loki play tafl nearly every day for the next week. While Thor is overjoyed to see his brothers spending time together, he manages to restrain his excitement, lest he disrupt the tentative bond growing between them.

To Balder’s delight, the next time he plays against Tjorvi Bjarnisson he wins (“without cheating!” he makes a point to tell Loki, who merely rolls his eyes). Thor offers his congratulations and he and Loki stand side by side as they watch Balder run off to more daily lessons, his eyes bright with the thrill of victory.

“Why Loki,” Thor teases as he turns to face him, “is that pride I see in your eyes?”

“Shut up,” Loki says with a scowl. He punches Thor in the shoulder and walks away, fleeing from the sound of Thor’s breathless laughter.

***

 

As weeks go by, Loki and Balder move on from tafl to magic. While communicating with animals seems to come easily to him, Balder still struggles with his control when it comes to manipulating heat and light. Loki keeps mentioning that he’s planning a trial for Balder to test out his skills in a real life scenario, but Thor doesn’t think much of it. He figures it will be something battle related, perhaps a hunting trip of some kind.

In the end, Thor is terribly wrong about the nature of the exercise. He also—of course—ends up being the unlucky soul to be used as a test subject.

Thor lies in bed one morning, warm and comfortable in the space between dreaming and waking. There’s a flash of light and though at first Thor figures it must be the sun changing position, the light keeps flickering. Thor grumbles and rolls to his other side, but the moment right before he dozes off again, he can see the flickering through his eyelids once more. He rolls over again but the light follows him, as does the sound of two voices snickering.

“Leave me be, you scoundrels,” Thor groans, his words greeted with more laughter. No matter how Thor tosses and turns, he cannot get the light to stop pestering him. Even though their prank is annoying, Thor can’t help but smile; he’s so happy that his brothers are enjoying spending time together that he doesn’t even care if it’s at his expense.

“Curse you both,” Thor says in a voice still hoarse with sleep as he grabs a pillow and covers his face with it. He has nearly fallen asleep again when he notices that the room is getting hotter, his skin beading with sweat. Thor grumbles and tosses his pillow across the room, hoping it will hit one of them.

“I’m going to find both of you, and when I do…” Thor starts, but when he sits up and finally opens his eyes the room is like a sauna, filled with a heavy steam he can barely see through. With the ice abilities Loki discovered once he came to terms with his Jotunn heritage and Balder’s abilities with heat and light, creating steam would have been quite simple for the two of them working together.

Thor is pulled out of his thoughts when the pillow he threw comes flying back at him, hitting him square in the head. Though he still cannot see his brothers, their laughter echoes through the room. Thor grins and picks up the pillow again.

“If it’s war you want, then war you shall have!” Thor raises his pillow in a fighting stance and gives a mighty yell before stepping into the mist.

***

 

When Thor and Loki’s maid comes in to clean, she’s less than pleased to find the room a complete disaster with the princes of Asgard in the center of it all, laughing and collapsed on the floor side by side with bits of feathers sticking to their sweaty skin. She opens her mouth to speak but then thinks better of it, shaking her head and walking away. The look of horror on her face as she leaves only makes them laugh harder.

When their laughter dies down, Loki sits up but is greeted with a pillow to the face, courtesy of Balder.

“You’ve betrayed our alliance,” Loki says, his attempt at a grave expression quickly giving way to a wicked grin. “I’m impressed. It seems that you have taken my lessons to—”

But this time, Loki is cut off by Thor pelting him with another pillow.

“You shall both pay dearly,” Loki cries out, and the pillow fight begins anew.

Thor smiles so hard his cheeks hurt; it’s the most fun he’s had in years.

***

 

A few days later, Thor and Loki stop by the training yards on their way to eat lunch to see Balder spar. The dull clink of practice blades echoes through the courtyard as Balder faces off against another boy his age. Balder has a natural gift and Thor can see flashes of brilliance in his footwork and attacks. However, it’s clear that he’s too caught up in his own head, trying so hard to remember his lessons that he forgets to trust in himself and his skill.

In the end, the other boy lunges and Balder tries to parry too late, leaving him flat on his back and costing him the match. There is scattered applause and Balder smiles ruefully as the other boy helps him to his feet.

Thor is rather impressed by the way Balder doesn’t seem to harbor any hard feelings toward his competitor; he and Loki were far less gracious at that age. In their youth, Thor would have been angry and immediately demanded a rematch and Loki would have brooded and stewed for a week, devising some convoluted prank as revenge.

They approach Balder and Thor gives him an affectionate clasp on the shoulder. “Good match, brother. Though you were not the victor, I was very impressed with your skill and surely you will best him next time. I have no doubt that you’ll grow up to become a formidable warrior,” Thor says, and Balder beams at the praise.

“It was… passable,” Loki says, and Balder smiles even brighter. Thor stifles his laughter, amused to no end by the fact that Balder now knows Loki well enough to read between the lines and hear the high praise buried beneath his flippancy.

“But still,” Loki continues, “I think you could have bested him if you utilized other skills. Why did you not use your magic?”

“That would be cheating.”

Loki smirks. “Would that really be so bad?”

Balder frowns and Loki stares at him thoughtfully. “Let me ask you something: is it cheating to fight with a sword or hammer rather than with one’s bare hands?”

“Well, no.”

“Then why should magic be different then? It’s a tool like any other. To fight without my magic would be like fighting blind: an interesting exercise to be sure, but to expect it all the time is hardly fair.”

Thor nods. “Loki’s magic _has_ saved us many times.”

“Like the time we fought that troll. Remember that, Thor? We were only a little older than Balder then.”

“Ah, when we were protecting that merchant and her family,” Thor says, after taking a few moments to dredge up the memory.

“Aye,” Loki says, his nose wrinkling. “What a foul-smelling creature that was. We should have simply went on our way, getting involved surely wasn’t worth dealing with that stench.”

“Loki,” Thor chides.

“What? They would have been fine without us, traveling merchants deal with trolls all the time,” Loki says with a dismissive wave. “But no, you just _had_ to go and be a hero. Thankfully, I was there to prevent your intervention from becoming a complete blunder and getting us all eaten.”

Thor starts to protest but Loki ignores him, instead turning his attention to Balder.

“You must never fight trolls, Balder, they smell terrible. And don’t try to outdrink dwarves or make bets with dragons. It always ends terribly. Unless you’re me, that is,” Loki says, his lips curving up into a smirk.

The bet with the dragon hadn’t gone as well as Loki was implying, but Thor found Loki’s little “words of wisdom” session too amusing to interrupt.

“So, returning to the subject of magic,” Loki says. “Use your magic in battle or don’t, it’s up to you. But don’t suffer fools who tell you it’s cheating. You must not believe everything you hear in the training yards. Or believe anything anyone tells you really.”

“Not even you?”

Loki laughs in genuine delight. “Oh, especially not me. Although I suppose the one exception to the rule would be Thor. He’s a terrible liar,” Loki says, leaning in and giving Balder a conspiratorial grin.

Thor shrugs. “There are worse fates.”

Balder is silent for several moments, his brow furrowed in concentration as he gives serious thought to Loki’s words. His expression is so different than it was during the sparring match, far more self-assured. He doesn’t look as if he’s struggling to remember a lesson he was taught, but rather mulling over his own convictions and what feels right to him. Thor can’t help but feel a surge of pride.

“Your advice about betting with dragons is probably sound,” Balder finally says, “but should I come across an angry troll someday, I won’t run from the fight, even if people may think I’m foolish. I would gladly endure the stench to save another from harm.”

Loki shrugs. “Suit yourself. At the very least it will make a good story, provided the beast doesn’t eat you. Just make sure to bathe thoroughly before you return and tell me the tale,” he says, his eyes filled with mirth.

Tyr calls out to the warriors-in-training to return to their lesson, and Balder gives a quick wave before running off to join the others.

“You and Balder have certainly been spending a lot of time together,” Thor says.

“What of it? It’s hardly my fault that he pesters me constantly.”

Thor grins. “Come now, Loki. Admit it: you’re enjoying yourself.”

“I will admit to no such thing,” Loki says, but there’s a thread of amusement beneath his indignation.

***

 

As the weeks stretch on, Balder follows Loki around like a shadow. No matter how much Loki grumbles, Balder cannot be dissuaded from seeking him out. He seems to find Loki’s ill temper humorous, especially now that it’s more of an act than genuine annoyance.

While wandering down the corridors one evening, Thor overhears snatches of conversation as two members of the kitchen staff pass him by.

“…two whole strawberry cakes, suddenly gone missing!"

"Is she sure? You know she's getting on in years..."

Thor can no longer hear the rest when they turn the corner, but he doesn't need to. He chuckles to himself because he's pretty sure he knows where those cakes got off to.

***

 

When Thor reaches their chambers, Loki is standing before the full-length mirror, inspecting his new outfit. Even though they are only going to an informal dinner with Balder and Frigga, Loki is as vain as ever and must always look his best. But honestly, Thor is hardly one to complain about it because he so appreciates the view.

“I’ve come to fetch you for dinner, my love,” Thor says before leaning in and giving Loki a kiss. "Mmm, you taste like strawberries.”

Loki shrugs. "So what if I do?" he says, the flicker of mischief clear in his eyes.

"I heard rumors around the palace that two strawberry cakes went missing from the kitchens earlier. You wouldn't happen to know anything about it, would you?"

Loki gasps. "Why, Thor. I cannot believe you would accuse me of such a thing. Come now,” he says, reaching for Thor’s hand and pulling him towards the door, “we should go down for dinner. You can wound me with your baseless allegations later.”

They pass by Balder in the hallway as he heads in the opposite direction, probably off to his own suite of rooms to get cleaned up for dinner. Balder and Loki both laugh and exchange a look, and Thor notices that the boy seems to be wiping crumbs away from his lips.

When Balder is gone from their sight, Thor forces himself to stifle his own laughter and give Loki a disapproving frown.

"What? He's very nimble, that one. Much better at sneaking than I had anticipated."

Thor shakes his head and Loki rolls his eyes. "Oh, don't give me that look. It was only a cake."

"I have only one thing to say to you."

"What? That I'm a terrible influence who's corrupting the boy's gentle spirit?" Loki says, lips thinning and voice taking on the particular edge that arises when his insecurities are laid bare.

"No. Why didn't you save me a slice?"

Loki smirks and Thor is relieved to see the tension bleed out of him. “Next time then.”

***

 

Thor wanders the corridors a few nights later, searching for Balder. He promised to take the boy flying out above the city with Mjolnir, but so far has had no luck in finding him. In the end, it turns out that he’s in Thor and Loki’s sitting room, playing tafl with Loki.

He can hear the clacking of tafl pieces being shuffled, the bright sound of Balder’s laughter, and the rich timbre of Loki’s voice as he regales him with the tale of how Thor and Loki stole Sleipnir when they were children.

"You and Thor had so many adventures when you were young."

"Indeed we did."

Thor had planned to enter the room by now, but there’s something in the air, some sense of gravity in the long pause between them that tells Thor to remain where he is.

"Loki, can I ask you a question?"

“You may.”

"If you and Thor had so much fun together, then why did you hate him? I don't understand how anyone could hate Thor."

Thor can’t help feeling a bit taken aback by the question, though he knows it shouldn’t be surprising. People love to gossip and surely Balder must have heard about the history of Thor and Loki's relationship here and there.

Loki pauses for a long moment. "It's complicated."

"But you love him."

"I do," Loki says without hesitation, and Thor smiles at the way the words come so easily to Loki these days. "But we were not always as we are now. In many ways, we were different people back then. He was thoughtless and I was cruel. Well, perhaps not much has really changed on my end," Loki says, and Thor can hear the wry smile on his lips.

"Is it true that you're a Jotunn?"

"It is. I was not born to Odin and Frigga."

"But... but you're not a monster," Balder says, and Thor cringes at the words, imagining how badly they must sting Loki.

Loki snorts. "I wouldn't be so sure."

"Mother says that Jotunns aren't monsters though, and I trust what Mother says more than anyone else. Besides, you're not a monster, you're my brother."

Loki sighs. "I've done terrible things, Balder. You'll understand when you're older."

"And you'll still be my brother," Balder says defiantly. “There is good in everyone, Loki. There is light in even the darkest heart.”

“You really believe that.”

“I know it,” Balder says, and Thor is struck by the conviction and sincerity in his voice. If he’d had any doubts about the kind of king Balder will grow up to be, listening to him now would have laid any of them to rest.

Loki chuckles. "Now you sound like Thor.”

“Father used to say that sometimes too. I miss him,” Balder says in a small voice, and Thor feels his heart breaking for the boy. He worries for him too, because he isn't sure how Loki will respond. Though Thor is tempted to step in, he forces himself to remain where he is. He’s been wanting Loki and Balder to bond, but in order for that to happen he needs to trust in them both; it's _their_ relationship, and only they can decide what it will look like.

“Of course you do. It is… difficult to lose someone,” Loki says, and Thor breathes a sigh of relief at Loki’s diplomatic response.

"Having you and Mother and Thor makes me feel better though."

"That's... that's good."

"What if Thor dies too though? I'm not ready to be king."

Thor is slightly surprised at the turn in the conversation, as he has never heard Balder open up about such things before. Perhaps he senses a dark quality in Loki that makes it easier for him to discuss his hidden fears.

"Balder. I promise you that I won't let anything happen to Thor. And in the unlikely event that it does, I'll march into Valhalla myself to get him back."

"Can I come?"

Loki laughs. "Of course. Now enough talk, let us finish our game.”

Thor listens to them chatter and wrap up their match for a few more minutes before finally entering the room, pretending that he’s only just arrived.

"Thor!"

“Hello,” Thor says as he gives Balder’s hair a playful ruffle before bending down to kiss Loki on the cheek.

“Are you ready, brother?” Thor asks Balder, who nods excitedly. “Good. Now go change and I'll take you flying, just as I promised."

Balder runs off and Thor chuckles as he watches him go.

"You’re good with him, you know," Loki says, and there's an odd expression on his face that Thor can't quite place.

"You are too," Thor says as he presses another kiss to Loki's cheek.

Loki snorts. “You heard all of that, did you? I wouldn't say that I'm 'good' with him. I fear I've only gone from abysmal to inept, but I suppose it's progress."

“From what I’ve seen and heard, I think you sell yourself short, Loki,” Thor says. While Loki is still as sardonic and contrary as ever, he never talks down to Balder and never speaks to him with true cruelty. When Thor watches the two of them together, he sees flashes of Loki in their youth, the endless summer days when he was both Thor’s partner in crime and his voice of reason.

Thor begins helping Loki put the tafl board and pieces away, the two of them effortlessly in tune with each other even in this simple task.

"Do you regret it?" Loki asks.

Thor frowns as he turns to face Loki. "Regret what?"

"You could have had a child of your own. You could have been king for longer than the time it will take Balder to come of age."

The "if not for me" remains unspoken, but Thor hears it nonetheless. When he looks at Loki now, everything clicks into place and Thor finally realizes what that strange expression on his face was: guilt.

Thor has spent years thinking Loki kept Balder at arms length due to resentment, and though perhaps that is true, there’s a deeper layer. Because of their large age difference and Odin's failing health, Thor has sometimes been less of a brother and more of a father figure to the boy. In Loki's eyes, Balder must be a living reminder of the life Thor could have had.

Loki looks away and refuses to meet Thor's gaze. "There are ways, you know. Dark magics to—”

"No," Thor says firmly.

Loki crosses his arms and glares. “So you wouldn't want to have a child with me. What is it, Thor, am I simply not good enough?”

Thor pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs. “That is not what I mean, Loki. What I mean is that there’s no reason for you to have a child with me out of a sense of obligation, because you think it’s something you must do to keep me with you. We have come so far together, and the last thing I want is for more resentments to fester between us. I’m happy with the life we have. I have never felt as if I’m settling for less or being denied anything.”

"Oh."

“Do you even _want_ a child?” Thor teases. He finds that joking around is one of the easiest ways to bring Loki back down to earth when he gets wrapped up in his own head the way he is now, twisting himself up into knots over a hypothetical child he doesn't even want.

Loki looks away. “I… I don’t know.”

Thor is utterly speechless and he’s sure he must look a fool with his mouth gaping open. In the centuries that he’s known Loki, he’s never answered that question with anything less than disdain. He was so certain of Loki’s “no” that his “maybe” has left Thor reeling.

Thor swallows hard, trying to quickly recover from his shock. “Well, if a day comes when you truly want a child, I will be happy. But should that day never come, I will be no less happy,” Thor manages to get out. They return to putting the game away in a silence that is thoughtful but not uncomfortable.

"I’m glad you two are getting along now,” Thor says, turning to face Loki again once their task is complete.

Loki rolls his eyes. "He’s even sunnier than you, Thor. I didn’t know such a thing was possible. Luckily he has me to teach him more… practical things."

"Loki…"

"What? I'm just making sure he has a well-rounded education."

Thor laughs. "Now you get to know the pain of being a big brother."

“Ah, it looks rather entertaining from where I’m standing. But I’m sure you can show me.”

Thor grins. "Indeed. I have been a big brother for centuries after all," he says, but his smile starts to fade. "Although I fear sometimes I was not always a good one."

"You were my favorite one."

Thor snorts. “I was your only one!”

Loki reaches out to stroke Thor’s cheek and stares him directly in the eye. “You are and will always be my favorite, Thor.”

Thor lets the warm weight of Loki’s words envelop him because he knows Loki speaks of something beyond brotherhood. He means that out of every being in the universe, there is no one Loki loves more than Thor. His love for Thor is bigger than his anger and pride, unshakeable even in the face of Loki’s resentments and his tendency to hold grudges. In all his years, Thor has never felt a sweeter feeling.

“I’m your favorite, am I? I suppose it’s only fitting, because you are mine,” Thor says, and he can feel Loki’s smile against his when they kiss. "Now, are you going to come and watch us fly?"

Loki rolls his eyes. “As if I don’t have better things to do,” he complains, because Loki can only be so sentimental in one evening and Thor knows he’s near his threshold.

“Come now, Loki, what could be more important than cheering your brothers on?"

"I hope you both fall from the sky."

"What happened to marching into Valhalla to retrieve me should I perish?" Thor says with a cheeky grin.

Loki rolls his eyes. “Oh, shut up. Don’t make me change my mind about that.”

“However,” Thor says, “first we must find Mother, as she told me earlier she would like to come watch as well. I thought it would be fun to take some fireworks up with us, give the people a show.”

"This is so like you, Thor," Loki grumbles. "A simple flight has turned into a grand spectacle."

“Don’t act so surprised, Loki. You knew full well what you were getting into when you married me.”

“Ah yes. Doomed to be forever by your side, forced to interact with children, and stuck entertaining your foolish whims. And now you expect me to be... _supportive_ ," Loki says, shuddering as if it's a dirty word.

“Aye.”

Loki shakes his head, one corner of his mouth tugging up into a wry smile. "I suppose there are worse fates."

Thor reaches for Loki's hand and Loki meets him halfway, giving him a small squeeze. They both hold on tight as they go off in search of their family.

 


End file.
